1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to multiplication of complex numbers. More specifically, but without limitation thereto, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for chip scrambling of a spread spectrum communications signal.
2. Description of Related Art
Spread spectrum communications systems such as code division multiple access (CDMA) and wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) encode subscriber signals individually so that several subscribers can use the same frequency channel concurrently without interfering with one another. As a result of higher signal frequency bandwidth, wideband code division multiple access provides improved processing gain and superior multi-path resolution compared to previous code division multiple access communications systems. Wideband code division multiple access communications systems also operate with both circuit and packet-switched high-bit-rate services to support concurrent operation of mixed services and a wide range of variable user data rates.
Both code division multiple access and wideband code division multiple access use complex chip scrambling to spread the transmission spectrum uniformly across the entire allocated bandwidth. A chip is a coded sequence of bits that constitutes the smallest unit of a spreading code. The rate at which chips are transmitted in a spread spectrum communications signal is called the chip rate. In general, the higher the chip rate, the wider the bandwidth of the resulting signal.
In wideband code division multiple access, the maximum chip rate is 3.84 Mchips/s, extending the width of each frequency band to 5 MHz. In CDMA2000-based communications systems such as 1XRTT and 1xEV-Dv, a pseudo-random noise (PN) generator is used to generate a spreading code to scramble transmitted chips. Gold code sequences are used to scramble chips in the European standard UMTS-based systems.
Such prior art techniques, while they may be suitable for some applications, are nevertheless not wholly satisfactory for small devices in which a minimum amount of circuitry is desirable.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to point out distinctive features in the illustrated embodiments of the present invention.